We are welcomed by ghost hunters, Zak Bagans, Nick Groff, and Aaron Goodwin to visit the Village of Secrets in Havers Straw New York. During the intro, Zak does his now famous dare to whatever spirits are lurking about: “You wanted us – you got us!” Before they make it to the site however, they are side-lined by the biggest storm to hit New York City since 1938; hurricane Irene. The streets are flooded and New York looks like a ghost town, no cars, no people, making the guys feel like it’s just made for their arrival. They were trapped in Manhattan for a while, and driving out they could hear the sirens start to wail.
Thirty-seven miles north of New York, the team finally arrives at the Village of Secrets, a group of 130 buildings that used to house and care for the physically handicapped and mentally disturbed up until 1996. It opened in 1911, with every intention of helping this segment of the population. Unfortunately, not enough staff, poor conditions, and low doctor salaries, soon became a major stumbling block to this institutions success. Zak interviewed a former staff member who quickly teared up as she told him the horror of the patients conditions. She wanted to leave, she said, the first week but couldn’t turn her back on those that needed care. The experience left a huge mark on this women’s soul. She said sometimes there would be one staff member and one spoon giving medications to 80 patients, one after the other, with that same spoon; that was one of the better images shared in this episode. She related that in the 1950s a polio vaccine was tested on an eight year old boy who was there and when he didn’t die, they tested it on several more. There is also a graveyard not two miles from the buildings that was full of unmarked graves until recently when a marker was put up, listing all the names of those buried there. It was suggested that because of this act of decency, those souls could finally be at rest. In the Village itself, there is a room where jar upon jar was kept full of the brains of those who died, almost like in a Frankenstein movie. All around, plants were overgrowing the buildings as if they were trying to cover over the secrets and seal it in like a tomb, Zak said.
In another interview, Zak and the guys show their comedic side. While getting ready to interview “Dave,” a local with a story about the place, Zak tells him the “rules for interviews.” First, no gum – he tells him to spit it out, while Aaron and Nick laugh. Then, number two, do not pat the chest – it screws up the microphones, more laughter. The last rule was no farting, which of course, cracks everyone up, but this one Dave said he couldn’t promise not to do! They also kid with Dave about breaking and entering, but he said he never broke anything, just entered, so they said, okay then – just trespassing. All joking aside, they asked him about his experiences in the buildings. He relates seeing a large, seven foot tall dark spirit with white eyes and backward legs that followed him, even after he left the grounds. This reminds the team of one of their past experiences where spirits have followed them home. Also, a girl informs them that someone pushed her that she couldn’t see and states that they had become “addicted” to the place. One witness states that while in the morgue at night, someone or something pulled her hair.
In an aside to the audience, Zak voiced his concern that this is indeed like a past experience the crew had and that the forces here were probably dark indeed. The team felt a great heaviness and oppressiveness to this place. Zak said it was saturated by the energy. Zak theorized that these spirits are latching on to visitors and leaving with them, just to have a way to get out. He said that this place is intimidating and full of history.
Because of the age of the buildings and their condition, the team doned masks and respirators for the lock down. They usually do a little intro during this time, but not today. They got right down and dirty, setting off to see what they could find. Immediately, they felt affected. The team experienced dizziness and their thermal imaging camera was turned on, but recorded no temperature differences. They also used static night vision and looked for the guard shadow figure that had followed Dan. Suddenly, a girl’s voice screamed, but it is not recorded on their instruments. The team split up unintentionally and only found out that they weren’t together when each of them encountered different things. Zak said later it was as if a spirit current carried them all off in different directions.
A loud knock was heard and Zak started asking questions to see if it was an intelligent spirit or just residual energy. He talked aloud asking if that was someone or an animal or just the building decay. Zak stopped to play back his digital recorder, but found nothing. Then he heard something with his own ears and it was at that point, when he turned to ask Aaron if he caught that too, that he found that he was alone and the others have split up.
Nick found the old dentists office and was appalled at the state of what had been left behind. He shared that it felt like the depths of hell and he was disgusted. At this point, Zak heard another scream and ran to where he thought the others may be – but didn’t find them.
Aaron was in the morgue asking questions and hoping for a response. Unknown to him, he was recording a response, but didn’t hear it until later. The voice said, “Shut up you prick,” clearly an unfriendly being. At the moment after that is recorded, he feels something brush the back of his neck and jumps.
Nick was still in the dentist office and said he felt like he was being watched and followed. It was at this time that Zak recorded this voice message: “pray your god.” Then Aaron found Zak, only to have Zak tell him to leave him alone. Zak told the camera that he felt he could get more information by keeping to himself for a while, using himself as bait while he fished for the dark energy.
Zak, Nick, and Aaron all heard sounds. Nick provokes the spirit, and the voice says: “yer tauntin’ me.” Another is heard to say “come get me.” They used a melameter, an electromagnetic device, which goes off if a spirit is near. They heard more sounds and then saw a large, dark shadow actually moving in another room. They quickly debunk it from being themselves caught in the light and casting a shadow – it wasn’t them. It was at this point that they heard, in the distance a siren going off and referenced a movie, Silent Hill. Using a spirit box, they asked questions and got a few responses: “attack” and “scream.” The team felt chilled and Nick felt physically ill. Nick got pushed by something and they heard, “please help” and “this way.” They stated that there are 5,280 frequencies and the spirits kept using the same one to reach them – coincidence, they said, “you decide.”
